Getting ready for Harrogate.

  Little bowls with slip decoration, sunning themselves gently. 

Finished bowls with shino glaze. 

Little bottles, semi porcelain with Norfolk reed ash glaze.

Little bottles, semi porcelain,Turkish turquoise glaze.

Grateful for a few days sunshine after the recent cold snap it's full speed ahead at Cosseys Yard.
 A sudden rush of orders (hurrah!) of my little bowls from a gallery in Cumbria means I need to build up stocks and have some lovelies to take to The British Craft Trade Fair in April. www.bctf.co.uk
I want to take work that has been glazed in my Norfolk Reed glaze.
 I'm keen to give the work a sense of place, so this particular batch will all be green.
Bringing together Japanese inspirations and local materials sums up my attitudes to my work and background.
There is a saying "Clay is of the first importance, clay is of the second importance, clay is of the third importance"
This was brought home to me while I was in Tokoname in 2009. Since then I have experimented with changing clays, rather than changing glazes. I have to say, it's much easier.



The reed ash glaze is quite dark on my usual Spencroft fleck clay, the added iron gives it a peppery look which I like. By using a semi porcelain glaze I can lighten the glaze, to the point where I have been complemented on my celadons!
Not sure why, but all of the lighter colours have been proving more popular recently.